Three-dimensional thermo-mechanical analysis of continuous casting and comparison with two-dimensional models

Abstract

In this study, a three-dimensional thermo-elasto-plastic model is developed for simulating a continuous casting process. The obtained results are compared with those from different two-dimensional analyses, which are based on plane stress, plane strain, and generalized plane strain assumptions. All analyses are carried out using the meshless local Petrov–Galerkin method. The effective heat capacity method is employed to simulate the phase change process. The von Mises yield criterion and elastic–perfectly-plastic model are used to simulate the stress state during the casting process; while, material parameters are assumed to be temperature-dependent. Based on the three-dimensional and two-dimensional models, numerical results are provided to determine the stress, displacement, and temperature fields induced in the cast material. It is observed that the present meshless local Petrov–Galerkin method is accurate in three-dimensional thermo-mechanical analysis of highly nonlinear phase change problems. Reasonable agreements are observed between the results obtained from the three-dimensional analysis with those retrieved by the generalized plane strain assumption. However, it is observed that the results obtained under plane stress/strain conditions have some significant differences with the results obtained from three-dimensional modeling of continuous casting.